O’Connell was ruled out of the Scotland game on the morning of the match after coming down with a chest infection, but coach Joe Schmidt is hopeful that the skipper will be fully fit for the visit of Wales on Saturday after taking a full part in today’s training.

“We’ll see how he comes through Saturday morning,” Schmidt said wryly at today’s press conference at Carton House.

“If we get through Saturday morning with him he’s fit and ready to go (we’ll be OK). “Paul trained fully today, so hopefully he’s OK. I’m just hoping there’s no phone calls this Saturday morning.”

O’Connell said today that while he can’t wait to get back into action against the reigning Six Nations champions at the Aviva, some of his team-mates have not been so forgiving over the chest infection that ruled him out of action.

“I feel good, small bit of a cough but not too serious,” the Limerick man said.

“It’s a bit embarrassing, bit of slagging from the old school players I played with.,” he added.

“I’m finishing antibiotics today. I’ve never struggled with them before, you get plenty of colds and flus in camp and I don’t struggle with them at all.